Intactivista: Debunking The Myths Of Circumcision

"It's cleaner."
How so? When it is first performed it is extremely difficult to clean an open wound which is extremely prone to hemmorhaging (true), then a scab on your sons most sensitive parts-your baby will kick and scream and be traumatized by the changing of the bandages let alone the procedure. When you're older? Being cut doesn't guarantee that you wash yourself either sweet peas, thats up to the individual and whether they learned proper hygiene. Also, if you believe that a man should be cut because it's cleaner/easier to clean, you must also believe a woman should too because it is a hell of a lot more intricate to clean a womans bits than it is to a man's. And I hope to heavens that you would be OUTRAGED at the thought of circumcising a woman, right?

"It's only a piece of skin."
NOT TRUE. For most boys (around 77%), the foreskin is fused to the prepuce (glans) and does not retract until approximately 11-15 years of age(2), so in circumcising before then damage is also done to the prepuce (glans) and/or penile shaft. This simple visual guide will also show you how circumcision (dont worry it doesnt show anything happening. Its PG rated ;)) destroys around 1,000 nerve endings and takes away approx. 36% of penile shaft skin in the average penis: http://www.norm.org/notjust.html (3)

"When they're young they won't remember it anyway, so it doesn't matter."
Not true. OK, they probably won't remember it, but that doesn't mean it won't effect them. Traumatic events effect and shape who you become your entire life, starting as early as the stress your mother endures while pregnant with you(4), continuing into the distress you may experience from an imperfect birth(5), as indeed do forced traumas such as circumcision(6)(and many others, such as innoculations and spankings but I won't get into those yet.)

"He'll be embarrassed if he doesn't look like other boys in the locker room(this argument, as many of these, only applies if you live in the USA/Israel)"


If you're a good parent you should also teach him to be confident in his body so he won't. You should also have already discussed why he doesn't look like other boys before this situation arises, isn't this a no-brainer?

"Well, I want my son to look like his Dad."
He already does look like his Dad, unless His mother's hiding something. Why do his genitals need to look like yours? Should Mom grow a penis too so the whole family can match? Are you going to find someone to tattoo and pierce and dye your baby's hair exactly the way Dad's is too? If you lost a limb would you sever the same limb on your baby so he wouldn't wonder why you looked different than him? Great logic...

"It can be removed without adverse effects"
The foreskin's anatomical function is extremely important. Not only is it the most prime erogenous tissue(7), it also protects the glans in the way an eyelid protects the eye. When circumcised, the glans dries out and becomes keratinised from rubbing against clothing(8). It becomes calloused and decreases in sensitivity. Peyronie's disease can also occur later in life as a direct result of circumcision(9).

"Circumcision prevents venereal disease"
False. Even the American Academy of Pediatrics admits there is no link between circumcision status and VD/STD transmission(10).

"I was circumcised, and I'm/my partner/spouse is happy with my penis."
I'm glad you are happy with your penis! That's wonderful(no sarcasm intended)-whether you are circumcised or not, I think it's extremely important for a person and their partner to be happy with their body. However, just because you're happy with it doesn't mean everyone would be happy with that decision. On the chance that your son would not be happy with that decision, why would you force him into it before he can speak for himself? You are taking a risk he will grow up and resent you for what you have done to him and his sexuality.

"Hygiene will become an issue once they are old and are no longer mobile enough to clean themselves."
That is also true of women. We don't circumcise women for this fact. Nursing home nurses do their jobs with females, so they need to buck up and do their jobs with men and get the f*ck over it.

"The ladies like it better"
Sure, some do. It is a fact that male circumcision is however linked to painful sexual intercourse for females(11). The foreskin provides essential lubrication, so without it an added lubricant is often needed for comfortable intercourse and/or masturbation for circumcised males.

"A male must be circumcised to be Jewish."
Nooo. Any child borne of a Jewish mother is a Jew, be they circumcised or not. Most of the Jewish culture actually is not circumcised, and in fact many holy Jewish figures in the bible and otherwise have not been circumcised(12). There are also alternatives to circumcision such that a bris shalom celebration/ceremony can still be held without human rights being violated(12).

"It won't hurt."
Uhh, OK?? General anaesthesia is way too dangerous for infants, and local anaesthesia swells the area to an extent of making a poorly performed surgery too likely.(10) Not only will it hurt, A LOT, it will hurt for weeks to come, before it becomes desensitized that is. It may also effect your childs' eating, as many infants cannot get into many breastfeeding positions due to groin pain after circumcision. This may cause your baby to lose weight and be further traumatized by hunger and worsened pain by increased sensitivity caused by said hunger.

"It will prevent penile cancers"
"Men have a higher chance of getting BREAST CANCER (0.7% likelihood) than they do of getting penile cancer (0.09%). To argue that circumcision decreases the rate of penile cancer is like arguing that if we keep kids locked inside their bedroom their whole life they won't get struck by lightening outside. It is absurd. Yes, if you cut an organ off your body, you will not ever get cancer in that organ. Cut off the breasts, we will not get breast cancer...(13)

"I/my son/___(insert person here) am/was circ'd, and I/we/they turned out just fine."
I'm very glad, but is that worth the risk that the next child circumcised could even potentially suffer any of the adverse effects I've mentioned?

FACTS:

-No medical organisation in the entire world reccomends circumcision(14).
-Circumcision does not prevent any STDs or VDs(10).
-Circumcision is a traumatic event that can and does a person's intelligence and mental wellbeing.
-The foreskin is more than just a "piece of skin". It plays a vital role in human sexuality for both a man and his sexual partner.
-There is absolutely no non-cosmetic reason to routinely circumcise minors. If men were meant to have prepuces, they'd be born with them, right? :P In fact, there are other alternatives even when a child has phimosis, but I will rest my case here...for now, until someone can come up with any more arguments? Anyone?
References:

2. http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/info/retraction.html
3. http://www.norm.org
4.http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/jan/27/health.healthandwellbeing
5. http://www.yourdiscovery.com/homeandhealth/article.jsp?section_id=7&theme_id=23&subtheme_id=85&article_id=86&site=uk
6. http://www.circumcision.org/studies.htm
7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erogenous_zone#Male
8. http://artofmanliness.com/2009/02/22/clip-the-tip-pointcounterpoint-on-male-circumcision/
9. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peyronie%27s_disease
10. http://www.cirp.org/library/general/wallerstein/ ("VENEREAL DISEASE" and "PAIN")
11. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyspareunia#Causes
12. http://www.jewishcircumcision.org/spectator.htm
13. http://www.drmomma.org/2009/10/dads-view-of-circumcision.html
14. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_analysis_of_circumcision#Positions_of_major_health_organizations